Gangtok: Sikkim’s lone Lok Sabha MP, Indra Hang Subba, has formally requested the Ministry of Education to include Rai, Sherpa, Tamang, and Gurung languages as optional second vernacular subjects in Classes 11 and 12 of CBSE-affiliated schools in the state.
According to an official statement, Subba has endorsed a joint representation submitted by four major community organisations — Sikkim Akhil Kirat Rai Sangh, Denjong Sherpa Association, Sikkim Tamang Buddhist Association, and All Sikkim Gurung Buddhist Association — seeking continued language options for senior secondary students.
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Subba met Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan at Parliament House and Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar at his official residence to convey the cultural and academic importance of the proposal.
The request follows a December 20, 2024, communication from the Ministry that had declined the inclusion of these languages at the senior secondary level. Subba urged the Ministry to reconsider, citing the educational, constitutional, and cultural relevance of the issue.
“These languages are already part of the CBSE curriculum in Classes 9 and 10. Excluding them in Classes 11 and 12 disrupts academic continuity and hampers efforts to preserve indigenous languages and culture,” Subba said in his letter.
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He further argued that the proposal aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which advocates multilingualism and regional language inclusion. He noted that no additional resources or examination days would be required, as students simply choose one second language from existing options.
The MP also emphasised that this initiative would reinforce the Union government’s commitment to inclusive education and uphold Article 29 of the Constitution, which guarantees protection of minority interests.
Subba has urged the Ministry to instruct the CBSE to implement the inclusion of these languages from the 2025–26 academic session.